Omar Sharif
Actor
Biography
Omar Sharif (April 10, 1932 - July 10, 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. The son of a precious wood merchant, he grew up in a united Christian family of Syrian and Lebanese descent with his parents and his sister. Enrolled at Victoria College, a prestigious British school in Alexandria, the teenager studied science and foreign languages and later discovered theater classes. A brilliant student, he continued his studies at Cairo University, where he obtained his diploma in mathematics and physics. He later converted to Islam to marry Egyptian actress Faten Hamama.
In 1962, he took on the role of Prince Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia under the direction of David Lean. This film, the first outside Egypt for the actor, marked the beginning of a long friendship with Peter O'Toole and a turning point in Omar Sharif's career. He won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and decided to leave his native country for Hollywood.
Filmography
10,000 BC
as Narrator (voice) 2008
The 13th Warrior
as Melchisidek 1999
Top Secret!
as Agent Cedric 1984
Hidalgo
as Sheikh Riyadh 2004
Doctor Zhivago
as Dr. Yuri Zhivago 1965
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
as Egyptian Assassin (uncredited) 1976
Funny Girl
as Nick Arnstein 1968
The Fall of the Roman Empire
as Sohamus 1964
Mackenna's Gold
as Colorado 1969
The Night of the Generals
as Major Grau 1967
Monsieur Ibrahim
as Monsieur Ibrahim 2003
Juggernaut
as Captain Alex Brunel 1974
The Burglars
as Abel Zacharia 1971
The Parole Officer
as Victor 2001
Mountains of the Moon
as Arab Chief in Cairo (uncredited) 1990
Oh! Heavenly Dog
as Bart 1980